Swollen leg

Hi everyone,
My horse was out overnight, and came in on May 24th with a scrape down the back of his hind left tendon, and very swollen, although not at all lame. He received cold water therapy three times a day. It got a little worse for a couple of days before it started to improve, but seemed materially better after he had been out in a small pen to walk around. So after about two weeks of it being still somewhat swollen with him hardly getting any exercise, I decided to just wrap his hind legs and ride him, thinking that it was probably just fluid built up in the leg and would work out. After each ride, the swelling would go down, but even now it is still there.

As he was never lame, I didn't think it was necessary to have a vet come to look at him, but this is starting to drive me a little bit crazy.

So I guess my question is, what is my next step? Standing wraps, more turnout (he's going out overnight again, 5 pm - 8 am), call the vet, or do nothing?

Is there any pain when you touch the area? If not and he's not lame or getting worse, I would just continue as you have been...tendons take a long time to heal. It's easy to worry about foot/leg injuries, and this may be a little too simple for most people, but our old farm vet always told us that if the horse isn't lame, just let it heal and don't worry about it.

I agree. Is there any way you can give him more turnout? The more he moves around the more the swelling will go down. Any time Chopper has a puffy leg(which is fairly often, he's a certain kind of speshul and is a clutz) I just leave it alone. Maybe cold hose it or put some liniment on it, but leave it alone. It will heal on its own. :)

My vet recommends banamine and bute but if he is not in pain then don't give him it. I would just see how it goes. He might have fluid built up? He may need to walk around. It is common is coon footed horses

If 24hr turn out is not an option, I'd wrap the legs when he's confined to a stall. Maybe try an alcohol sweat - it's gentle, refreshing and effective. I'd also suggest that if you wrap one hind leg, wrap the other hind leg as well:)

He doesn't seem to care at all about me touching his leg, so I doubt it hurts him (he can be pretty opinionated...lol), and he hasn't had a lame step since he hurt it.

Glad to hear that I seem to generally be doing the right thing by leaving him alone. It is possible that I might be able to get him going out in an all weather paddock, it's probably only 50' sq. But it's better than just a 12 x 12 stall.

As far as wrapping it goes, I'm not terribly confident about doing standing wraps - I mean, I have been taught to do so, but I have heard so many bad things. Besides that, I can't drive, so I don't really have access to get to him every single day. :( I can definitely continue to cold hose it when I'm there though.

He doesn't seem to be in any pain - he was on Bute for just a couple days at the beginning when it was really swollen (he didn't even seem to be in pain then, but since it's also a good anti-inflammatory, it helped). I thought that he probably had fluids built up, but wouldn't that have cleared up by now...it's been 3 1/2 weeks. He's definitely not coon footed.

It's probably not fluids then. Ryle might be good at answering this.
Did you get new bedding? It's just one leg,right? I would just keep an eye on it and see if it gets better and if it doesn't by all means call your vet.

I don't know, it's very confusing. It decidedly goes down with exercise, but swells up (at least a little) when he is stalled again. I need to have the vet out for a sheath cleaning anyway, so I'll have them take a look at it then too.

If it goes down with movement then it most likely is fluids. I wouldn't keep him stalled at all, the more movement the better.

Well, I board him - it's sort of impossible to have him out 24/7. :(